And who better to go to for the scoop than Jake Maskall (aka Cyrus), who describes his character this season as a “kraken unleashed,” willing to stop at nothing to retain his seat on the throne.

“Cyrus wanted it with this burning passion, but never thought it would actually happen,” Maskall tells TVLine. “He’s in heaven. He’s a pig in s–t. He’s the most powerful person in the country. … He’s got nothing to live for apart from the crown, which makes him a little bit fearless.”

THE BODYGUARD| For the record, Eleanor and Jasper’s hand-holding at the Kings’ Cup wasn’t a total misdirect. The former couple’s spark is still burning — it’s just going to take some time, and a lot of work on Jasper’s part, to get Eleanor to re-open her heart. (Mandy really did a number on her!) But don’t expect Eleanor’s uncle to pay that relationship any mind: “That’s not on his radar,” Maskall says, “though he’d probably laugh that she’s with the help, which seems to be the Henstridges’ trait.”

KING VS. QUEEN| Speaking of sleeping with the help… actually, I’d better not reveal that. What I can say about Queen Helena this season is that she remains determined to prove her children’s legitimacy, and Cyrus is going to prove to be a particularly annoying thorn in her side throughout the entire process. “The writers have told me that Cyrus is their favorite character to write for,” Maskall reveals, “because he gets to say anything.” (And during his spats with Helena, he really does.)

LIAM’S BATTLE ROYALE| As revealed in the Season 3 trailer, Liam turns to an underground fight club to work out his royal frustration — but that’s merely a warm-up for his impending battle for the crown, which Cyrus isn’t ready to let go of so easily. “Cyrus is aware that the throne being taken away is a possibility,” Maskall admits, “so he does pick on Liam quite a bit. We have a Christmas episode this season, where it’s the whole family together in the palace, and Cyrus is really, really wicked to Liam.” (Follow-up question: How do we score an invite to Christmas at the Palace?)

ROBERT’S RETURN| Now that we know Robert is alive, it’s only a matter of time before he makes his way home — not that Cyrus is eagerly awaiting his eldest nephew’s return. “Him coming back could screw everything up for Cyrus if he doesn’t play his cards right,” Maskall notes, though he does admit that “Cyrus has always had a soft spot for Robert.”